Page 77 of Suncatcher

“About this, I do.” She raked her nails into the wound, trying to reopen it, but her attempts just slid off. “Why would you do this to me?”

“I…was afraid.”

The quake in Pearl’s voice stilled Driz’s movements. Driz looked away from the glowing marks. She would deal with them later.

Pearl was staring at the left half of Driz’s face. Driz touched her own head, feeling for what had caught Pearl’s attention.

Rough, tender burns extended up into where her hair used to be. And Pearl was looking at her with a quiet horror Driz wished she had never seen.

Driz had been wrong yesterday. The worst thought she’d ever had was to hope she might be anything but a hideous beast.

She flinched back when Pearl reached to touch her damaged cheek. She craved Pearl’s touch so much it hurt more than her injuries, and it would hurt too much to have it.

Turning away so Pearl didn’t have to look at her, she climbed, aching, to her feet. She had never been this badly injured before. The stone sleep could only do so much in a single day.

“You were right,” Driz told the dirt. “When you said your mother would shoot me.”

“Driz…”

“But at least she waited long enough for you to clarify I mean nothing to you.”

“I never said that.”

“I am not stupid.” Driz’s aching wings flared. “Well, perhaps I am, but do not pretend I misunderstood your words.”

“I didn’t mean any of that.”

“But you said it.”

“I lied, trying to keep her calm so she wouldn’t shoot!” Pearl’s own anger flared.

Driz huffed out a breath from her throbbing chest. “It did not work.”

“It might’ve, if you weren’t so obvious. Why the fuck did you have to say you were helping because of me?”

A new, unpleasant kind of heat curled up Driz’s neck, hot and prickly. “Because I did do it for you. What should I have said instead?”

“Anything else. Or nothing at all.”

Driz was suddenly hollow. She looked up at the sky and stretched her wings experimentally. Flying would be agony, but she would do it. She had to get away. She didn’t belong with Pearl, with any humans. Even if the pain of leaving would incapacitate her, staying longer and enduring Pearl’s rejection would hurt more.

“Where d’you think you’re going?” Pearl snapped, sharp enough for Driz to look at her.

“I am sorry I did the wrong things.” Driz meant the words but struggled to get the next out. “I will not bother you again. Goodbye, Pearl. Thank you for…” For what? What was Driz supposed to say?

“Oh no you don’t.” Pearl moved in front of Driz, reaching up and seizing the sides of her face. “I told you. You’re not going anywhere. I didn’t come after you and watch you almost die all night just for you to leave me.”

Pearl’s touch on Driz’s skin was scrambling her senses. “You do not want me to leave?”

“Of course I don’t.”

“Then what?”

Pearl stared into her eyes for several heartbeats. And she kissed her.

Driz resisted for a moment. Fear of Pearl turning away as she had, of changing her mind, had Driz hesitating.

But with Pearl’s lips pressed to her own, tongue seeking and offering what Driz wanted so badly, Driz gave in. She folded her arms around Pearl and drew her closer. Pearl moaned and her grip tightened on Driz’s damaged cheek.